Initial impressions Sigma dp2m

[Eric T]

Gary,
It is about a 100x crop. He is a feral bird that just showed up in our neighborhood nearly five years ago. He hangs out in our backyard every evening.
Eric

 

[FA Limited]

In manual focus mode, when u cycle thru the display options u should be able to c a distance scale at bottom, the green dof area changes when u change the fstop, however, this functionality is not available once u are in magnify mode.

In spp top middle of the display, there are settings for in camera (use the raw info), auto spp, and custom. Spp defaults to auto when u first use it. I have it set for use the info in the raw. I adjust any white balance issue based on the info from the raw.

10 shots is way lower than I have ever heard of. Was the battery fully charged? I normally get between 60-90 shots per charge.

What does ETTR mean?

I use the real right stuff grip w/ mine. Jon uses the Franeic and Jsrock hates grips 😀

Gary

thanks for the replies gary, i know you're really big on the camera

-you're right the DOF green bar is there must have missed it using F2.8
-i've setup my SPP the same way, there's a restaurant i've been to with some really tough lighting and with the limited options in SPP hard to adjust
-it was my first go with that battery, i'm hoping it was just an anomaly
-ETTR is expose to the right, the belief that digital sensors can capture more tones in when the image is brighter or something to that effect http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/expose-right.shtml
-i have the franiec on my S95, i'll consider it for the sigma as well

 

[GaryLH]

thanks for the replies gary, i know you're really big on the camera

-you're right the DOF green bar is there must have missed it using F2.8
-i've setup my SPP the same way, there's a restaurant i've been to with some really tough lighting and with the limited options in SPP hard to adjust
-it was my first go with that battery, i'm hoping it was just an anomaly
-ETTR is expose to the right, the belief that digital sensors can capture more tones in when the image is brighter or something to that effect http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/expose-right.shtml
-i have the franiec on my S95, i'll consider it for the sigma as well

I have a Franeic on my rx100, but for bigger size cameras I like the rrs grip better. I have this grip on my sigma Merrill's, the x100 and the omd.

I agree w/ u there is no way the dp2m can be an everyday camera... Which is the challenge of trying to use it up to 70% of the time this year. Whether I am successful or not, I will report back at end of the year.

Maybe 60-70 percent of my shots are in the normal fov perspective so 38-60 fov are where u will c a lot of my shots.

I recently acquired the omd for the long end. The ibis stabilization system on that camera is the best that I have run into. I have been using it w/ some a 90f2.8 and 135f4.

Anyway the sigma works for me because of the types of pictures I normally take. It is not a camera for everyone, but it can be a great camera to have u your arsenal, if it works for you.

Good luck
Gary

 

[GaryLH]

Thanks Monochrom.. Hope u enjoy the camera. Btw.. The image thread over at getdpi for the d2m is gigantic. The thread has over 17,000 post. Of course not all of it is pictures... But there are a lot of guys over there that like the sigma as well.

Gary

 

[Monochrom]

welly welly well......i just finished my PP on sigma photo abyss and lightroom as well on pornoshop....

Have to say the camera rocks...AF is fast enough for me...just as fast as shooting with my m9...

On the x1 i learned i don´t need to focus this kind of camras...just use hyperfocal and all ok...
But this time i did use AF and i never got problems of losing pics.
Auto iso 100-400 and AF priority...and B/W mode...

Check the pics i did...have much more but these i think will illustrate what i like about this camera.....😉

These are in your honour Gary...hope you like´em 😀

 

[Classique]

Great shots monochom!

One interesting thing I noticed was that AF+MF doesn't work (greyed out) when I turn on face recognition and and AF priority. I guess I should actually read the manual to see what's up.

 

[GaryLH]

Monochrom

Nice shots. There is something about the first I like the best.

Have fun w/ it.

Gary

 

[Keith]

You could slip those black and whites ^ into the Leica Monochrome thread and the in house fan base would wax lyrically over the unique qualities of the MM's sensor as they viewed them! 😀

Very nice! 🙂

 

[Monochrom]

Contour VF

Contour VF

hahahhah...that would be nice...but i´m afraid retaliations by the RF Security Staff....they´ll cause me pain...

Today went to a huge flea market on an abandoned airport...it was a burning sun and i did some shots...

I used a contour viewfinder....let´s say it worked wonderfully on this camera...

I´m PP and i´ll post in a while...🙂

 

[Monochrom]

Hi today i could test the dpm on a very bright sunnay day...too much...

I have to say i don´t think i´ll use too often the B/W mode on this camra...the reason is i´m aproaching the sigma photo pro as my film scanner...

In the past i learned that making some kind of arrangements on the scanner settings gave me great results inafterwards in lightroom and photoshop...

I use to lower contrast and make quirky things with curves and i "open shadows" in the option epson scanners have.

That renders the archives very flat but with more info that i´ll use later on with LR...also i leave them in colour in order to have more control in LR using the greyscales controls...

And so i finally got these pics for you to view!

100% crop

This is crazy...and i think i still have alot to learn about this camera´s potentials...

100% crop

Bye!!!🙄

 

[GaryLH]

It took me a while too figure what works for me, I think a lot depends in your style and normal work flow.

I am still trying different things to figure out what I like vest for my work flow.

I like the portrait crops btw.

Enjoy
Gary

 

[Monochrom]

Thanks!

this cmra is a little insane...i still need to get more into it in order to squeeze the best out of it...but i have a hint at least....😉

I tryied to pull out the highlights in spp but couldn´t in a linear way...had to underexpose in several different ways, then pull everything up with x3 fill light...then tiff it in colour....then LR...then bla bla bla....

It´s been a nice experience...

BTW....when i had my old dp1...i saved the flash...becuase i knew i´d have another dp in the future....todya i´m doing some tests with it...i remember the dp1 was great in broaddaylight and flash using f4...!

Bye!

 

[jonal928]

SIGMONSTER© DP2M with flash

**

 

[Keith]

Finally starting to get my head around the DP2M ... and it's taken me a couple of weeks to feel comfortable with the camera which puzzled me because I generally adapt to new gear quickly.

I suddenly realised what the problem was and it's having to compose with an LCD screen ... totally new to me! 😱

😀

 

[Monochrom]

😀, yep....i ha the same "problem" i forgot how to use a lcd screen in broad day light...😀

That flash pic just has the same feeling as the old dp1!!!

and so...i have to emntion the new dp2m has not that odd grey cast in the highlights that was so annoying on the older series!!!

Sigma made that quirk in order to prevent showing such bright spots...but of course replacing white with grey didn´t make it!!

And that was one of the reasons i never got a dp2....until this merrill series!!

I´m tempeted to let go my biogon 28mm in favourt of the dp1 Merrill....donñt know yet thou!

 

[noimmunity]

I suddenly realised what the problem was and it's having to compose with an LCD screen ... totally new to me! 😱

😀

Hey, Keith, in may situations in which framing isn't critical, you don't have to. The VF for the DP2 works well with the focus confirmation lamp just visible out of the corner of your eye (or you can set for audible confirmation).

 

[Spanik]

The more I see of these cameras the more I want one. Sadly there isn't a 35mm eq or I would have got one after going through this thread.

 

[GaryLH]

The more I see of these cameras the more I want one. Sadly there isn't a 35mm eq or I would have got one after going through this thread.

Shoot 28 (dp1m) and crop to 35? Use a 35mm ovf as well?

Gary

 

[FA Limited]

looks like Adobe is looking into more Foveon support 😀 ... if that happens i would upgrade to LR5
http://forums.adobe.com/message/5239268

(found from http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1150855/79#11489873)

 

[GaryLH]

That is great news. Thanks for the update.

Gary